Wireless communications systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, and so on. These systems may be multiple-access systems capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing the available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power).
A wireless network, for example a wireless local area network (WLAN), such as an IEEE 802.11 (i.e., Wi-Fi) network may include an access point (AP) that may communicate with one or more station (STAs) or mobile devices. The AP may be coupled to a wired network, such as the Internet, and may enable a mobile device to communicate via the network (and/or communicate with other devices coupled to the access point). A wireless device may communicate with a network device bi-directionally. For example, in a WLAN, a STA may communicate with an associated AP in downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) directions. The DL (or forward link) may refer to the communication link from the AP to the station, and the UL (or reverse link) may refer to the communication link from the station to the AP.
In some cases, a wireless station may enter a sleep state and awake periodically to receive beacons from an AP. If the beacon is not received, or expected content after the beacon (CAB) is not received, the station may wait for a designated period before re-entering the sleep state. If the designated period is not long enough, the station may miss a delayed transmission (i.e., the beacon or the CAB). Conversely, if the designated period is too long, the station may use more power, resulting in an unnecessary reduction of battery life.